Bayern Munich: Matthijs de Ligt dismisses speculation about his future

Thomas Tuchel has managed to get some consistency in the defense for Bayern Munich over the last three weeks. The German coach has given an extended run of games to Matthijs de Ligt and Eric Dier in the heart of defense. They are conceding fewer chances per game than they did at the start of Ruckrunde.

Matthijs de Ligt endured a difficult Hinrunde due to injuries and poor form. He struggled to get rhythm in his performances, which allowed Tuchel to consistently field the center-back pairing of Kim Min-jae and Dayot Upamecano.

De Ligt was frustrated with the lack of opportunities during the first half of the season. However, things have improved since the start of 2024. He has started more games since Kim Min-jae was away with South Korea in the Asian Cup.

The Dutch defender was back on the bench during the defeats against Bayer Leverkusen and Lazio in February. Reports in Germany continued to suggest that a summer move away from Bavaria could become a possibility for De Ligt in the summer.

Tuchel changed the personnel in the starting XI after three consecutive defeats in February. De Ligt started in the defeat against Bochum, but he was one of Bayern's better players. The German coach decided to stick with Dier and De Ligt for the next five games, which saw Bayern win four and draw one. While talking to VI (via iMiaSanMia) this week, De Ligt squashed reports linking him with a move away from Bavaria.

""I think that mainly has to do with the expectations from outside. When I don't play, then a link is immediately made saying that I would not be happy and would want to leave. Of course there have also been matches that I would have liked to play, but I really have no reason to complain. I'm still having a great time at Bayern Munich and have been playing again lately. I never let rumors get to my head because I know what the reality is.""

- Matthijs de Ligt

De Ligt has done reasonably well since arriving from Juventus in 2022. He is yet to enter the peak years of his career, so it wouldn’t make sense to give up on him after two seasons. Unless he pushes for a transfer in the summer, a move away from Bavaria is unlikely to take place.

The departure of Tuchel at the end of the season may have a big impact on De Ligt’s future. The Dutch international is reportedly not keen on being the third or fourth-choice center-back in the squad. He has dismissed speculation for now, but things can change in the summer depending on how he fits into the new coach's plans at Bayern.

The Bavarian club is also expected to strengthen the defense in the summer. They tried to sign Ronald Araujo from FC Barcelona in January. Die Roten will try to get him in the summer. The future of other center-backs in the squad will largely depend on the incomings during the transfer window.